Relax...
As I began my daily meditation, I closed my eyes and tuned out my thoughts. I focused on the sensations. The warmth of my cabin, the pressure of my fur against the wooden floor, the faint ticking of the clock.
Brrrriiiiiiiing! Brrrriiiiiiiing! Brrrriiiiiiiing!
I was awoken out of my meditation by a loud bell ringing. It was the electric post notifying me that I was being sent a message. I got up and stopped the noise, so I could receive the message and have peace from the annoying sound.
I didn't expect to ever get mail up here. Why would I? I was alone, up on a mountain, away from everyone. Yes, I like to help people, but too much helping has forced me to reside up here with the Absol, helping those who get stuck on the mountain.
It was a pretty bland and boring job, but I liked its simplicity. I could use much of the time to focus on training my moves and developing my aura. Might as well, right?
The message was sent through the old electric post, good thing they were still able to get it sent up here. There had been a blizzard last night, and a fierce one at that. The clicking clock-like receiver typed out the message: "—begin-message—-Rescue—Request—-three—Pokémon—stuck—in—snow—-original—path—-please-rescue—-important—-end—of—message—"
Three Pokémon? Way up here?! Probably a few mons that were stubborn enough to believe that the old ninetales atop the mountain could grant wishes or something. She may be old but that was just plain folklore. I got on my hat, my gloves, and the rest of my gear then headed out. Someone needed to help them.
—-
After a while of hiking, I stopped for a breath. How could three Pokémon make it up this far on the old trail and not know the dangers? Most Pokémon only hike the old trail once they are acquainted with the area, and are prepared for the mystery dungeons, if they hike it at all. It was probably some youngsters who are just out of their element and don't know what they're doing.
I got up to the old trail, and started heading to the top. If they got caught in the snow higher up the mountain, well, it'd be better to check that way first. My major worry was that they got caught in the blizzard and lost the path. It was for that reason that I kept an eye out for anything out of the ordinary.
Eventually after searching for an hour, I decided to focus more with my aura. They might've gotten buried in the snow, or stuck in a cave. I closed my eyes and focused. All around me, the frozen climate. It was perfect for training, as there was far less 'noise' from living things.
I could sense a faint trace of movement from my left, so I headed that way. I soon realized that there was one strong aura, a weaker one, and then one that was really weak. This must be them, but if so, I needed to find them fast. It was possible that some of them might not make it if I didn't find them soon.
I followed the trace for it to end at a clearing. I opened my eyes again. Where were they? I looked around to find something sticking out of the snow. A dead tree? Nothing new. I was about to move on when I noticed something else with it... a green scarf.
Why would they leave a scarf here? Did they get buried in the snow? I started digging around the tree. I started feeling the aura stronger! I closed my eyes and focused while I dug, until I eventually found them.
A Charmander, an Eevee, and a Rowlet. All unconscious in a small gap in the snow.
—-
I feel... nice. Warm and cozy. Like I'm in a toasty car during a cold winter drive. Keeping warm, despite the weather outside.
So nice and cozy... I could stay here forever... except my tail feels sore and my leg hurts a bit.
Wait... tail? Leg? ...! Sam!
My head popped right up as I opened my eyes. "Sam!" I said. "Are you okay?!"
"He's fine." A voice said beside me.
I looked over to my side to see a large, blue... dog Pokémon-thing sitting on a chair next to my bed? They had a cream-colored torso with a white spike poking out of their fur in the front. From their voice I could tell she was female, but she sounded tough. She had azure blue fur on her arms and legs, mainly around her thighs, and her paws and lower legs were black with more of a skin-like look to them. She also had a spike on the back of each paw.
Her face was blue, except for the black skin-like strips over her eyes, nose, and over to the back of her head. She had blue, sharp pointed ears, and a small muzzle. Behind her head, there were four black round things which kind of reminded me of hair.
She also had a long blue tail which she had tucked in through the side of the chair. She had been reading a book, and she was looking at me. Oh right, she was probably waiting for me to say something else.
"Where am I?" I asked. "Where's Sam and Rou?"
"You are in my cabin." She said, looking back at her book. "The Charmander's already awake, and the Rowlet's still recovering. You can go check on them if you'd like, they're in the other room."
"Thanks.. uhh, what's your name?"
"Laura."
"Thanks Laura." I said, slowly getting up and out of the bed. My muscles were all sore. I walked over to the curtain and peaked behind it to find Sam pacing the floor and Rou asleep in a bed.
"Sam!" I said.
Sam looked over at me, relief flushing over his face. "Eva! You're okay!" He rushed over and embraced me in a hug. "I thought you guys weren't gonna make it!
"What happened?" I asked. "The last thing I remember was you pulling us on the sled after I hurt my leg."
"I think I can explain that." Laura's voice said from behind me. She stepped through the curtain to explain. "It seems like you and the Rowlet... Rou, were not doing too well and Sam here kept you warm all night in a makeshift snow cave. He had tied his bright green scarf around a tree, and that's how I was able to find you three.
"Wow... but how did you know to find us?" I asked Laura.
Laura shrugged. "I got a rescue request."
"Rescue request?"
Sam straightened his glasses, like he always does when he's about to explain something. "Sometimes when Pokémon get lost or stuck, their friends send out a rescue request for someone to find them! They can come in a variety of different ways, by mail, psychic link, or even washed up on beaches!"
"Well then, who sent out our request?" I asked, looking back from Sam to Laura.
"I don't know. It was sent through the electric post." She said, shrugging.
"It must've been Pos!" Sam said. "I contacted her while we were in the snowstorm."
"Wait, how did you contact someone?" Laura said. "None of you are psychic types or anything."
"It's... a long story." Sam replied.
"We have a special rock we can use to communicate with an espeon we know." I said simply.
"Pretty neat." She replied.
"Soo... now what?" I asked. "You're gonna let us rest here, and then we can continue hiking up the mountain?"
"Nope. You guys are going back home, or at least back to town. I'm not letting you three get in trouble again!" Laura said to our astonishment.
"W-w-what?!" Sam exclaimed. "But- we need to get to the top of the mountain! That's where Rebecca is!"
Laura suddenly glared at Sam. "How do you know that name?" She said with a more fierce tone than an asking one.
Sam shrunk back. "I-I- uuh! P-P-P-Pos! P-Pos told us!"
"And this 'Pos'... she is a psychic type, is she?"
"Ye-yeah...?"
Laura stood still for a moment, thinking. She looked back at me. She eventually regained herself and continued. "There's only so many Pokémon on this mountain. Ferals, Absol, a Ninetales, and me. You're looking for the Ninetales."
"How? D-do you kn-know her?" Sam asked.
"Yes." She replied. "Most Humans don't like it being revealed that they are humans though."
"Really? Why are you telling us then?" I asked.
"Only because I know you're one too." She said.
Sam and I gulped. How did she know?! "W-what makes you say that?" I asked her.
"Your aura." She said simply. "I know a human aura when I see one. I can also tell you guys are being honest about this."
This was exciting! Maybe Laura could really help us! "Do you know why we were put here? What we're supposed to do?" I asked.
Laura thought for a minute. "Well, Rebecca has lived on the top of the mountain for a long time... if anyone would know, she would."
"Then we have to meet her!" Sam said, finally breaking out of his anxiety. "We have to!"
"Why?" Laura countered. "Why do you want to know? What do you have to gain from it?"
"I- I want to know why I'm here." I confessed. "I mean, there has to be a reason why I can't remember much. What happened? Why am I here? I don't want to be stuck here, not ever learning why... why I want to go home!"
"That's fair." She said.
"Could you take us up the mountain then? To make sure we don't get into more trouble?" Sam asked.
"Hmm..." Laura hummed, pondering over the thought in her mind. "Well, if you three are determined to get to the top, I won't stop you. Might as well make sure you don't die. Probably should go say hi to her anyways."
"Thank you, thank you!" Sam said, looking relieved. "I'm glad we'll have an experienced hiker with us this time around!"
"We'll leave as soon as your little friend is ready." Laura said, gesturing to Rou in the bed. "He's going to need his strength if we're going to finish the hike."